Lecturer in English Literature

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We are seeking to appoint a Lecturer in English Literature within the School Arts and Humanities.

To apply for this post, you should have a proven track record of research in the literature of the Romantic period and a readiness to prepare teaching materials on the literature of the eighteenth and nineteenth century.

The post is based in the Department of English and Creative Writing in the School of Arts and Humanities.

• Develop learning materials, including planning, preparation, updating, writing, and redrafting of materials for distance learning modules, critical reading, and associated editing, as well as the production of audio‑visual and online resources.
• Contribute to the administration of modules in presentation, including preparing and monitoring assessment, and provision of tutor and student support.
• Contribute to decisions about curriculum, teaching and assessment strategies.
• Meet the requirement of direct contact with students through a variety of means, for example at day schools, moderating forums and delivering lectures online, and research student supervision, as appropriate.
• Contribute to the briefing, debriefing and training of Associate Lecturers.
• Contribute to high‑quality research publications for , with bids for research funding encouraged.
• Contribute more broadly to the activities of the School and Faculty as required.
• Promote equal opportunities and participation across all aspects of School activities, including teaching and research.

• An honours degree in English Literature or a related subject.
• A completed PhD in English Literature (completed is defined as having a successfully signed qualification at the point of application).
• A research specialism in literature of the Romantic period.
• A track record of successful research commensurate to career stage, and detailed plans for future research with clear potential for .
• Broad experience of undergraduate teaching, with a willingness to contribute to teaching beyond the post-holder’s area of specialisation.
• The ability and readiness to develop, research and write innovative distance‑learning materials.
• The ability and readiness to manage modules in presentation, including preparation of assessment materials and participation in examination and Quality Assessment processes.
• A lively interest in pedagogical techniques for teaching English Literature through distance‑learning in Higher Education.
• The ability and willingness to work in a way that aligns with the ideals of The Open University, including a willingness to engage in activities to widen participation in Higher Education.
• A qualification in teaching in a Higher Education context (e.g. PGCert, FHEA).
• An interdisciplinary approach in research and/or teaching, with a willingness to think across genre/subject boundaries.
• Experience of teaching Literature at postgraduate level.
• Experience of (or with plans for) securing external research income.
• The ability to contribute to maintaining and raising the profile of the School and the Faculty (e.g. through outreach work or activities with a public impact).

We are open to discussions about flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, part time, compressed hours or other arrangements. An anticipated hybrid working pattern will allow you to work from home and the office; some attendance in the Milton Keynes office will be required. We would expect at least once every other month, with more frequent attendance as business needs dictate.

Interviews will likely be held in the week commencing 6th July 2026.

Applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. If the advert closes earlier, we will remain open for at least one week before any early closure. If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, please get in touch for support, including reasonable adjustments for protected characteristics.